Plate-registering means



April 1, 1930- i w. H. BANzETT I 1,752,659

PLATE REGISTERING MEANS Filed Feb. 2, 1929 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITEDy STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. BANZETT, 0F BERGENFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LITHOGRAPHIC COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PLATE-REGISTERING MEANS l Application filed February 2, 1929. Serial No. 337,044.

This invention relates to plate registering means and has for its object to bring a printing plate, on a cylinder or elsewhere, into correct register widthwise with the material on which the printing is to be done.

After one set of impressions has been made from one of a plurality of plates prepared in corresponding registry, as a set of multicolor plates for instance, it is often found that the paper on which the printing is done has stretched transversely, from atmospheric conditions or otherwise, so that when one portion of a plate from which a second color,

for instance, is to be printed, is in correct.

registry with the previously printed color, another portion is found to be slightly out of register. For instance, while the midportion of the plate could be brought into registry with the `midportion of the first printed color, the edge portions would be found short of registry because of the stretching of the per.

While this lack of registry may be not more than the width of a line, it is often suflicient, in fine work, to seriously injure the desired result. The object of the present invention is to provide means for correcting this lack of registry.

To that end my improvements comprise features illustrated in their present preferred embodiment in the drawing accompanying this specification, wherein lFigure 1 is an end elevation of a portion of a printing cylinder.

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding therewith. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a detail of the device showing the plate flat, in one plane.

My improvements comprise providing the printing plate 2 which is wrapped about the cylinder bed 20 or laid flat as in Fig. 3,with one or more inwardly reaching slits, as 3, from one or both edges thereof and located at convenient distances from said edges of the plate. Preferably two such slits are cut in the plate at about one quarterof the width of the plate from each edge. That leaves the midportion half 2-a of the plate separated at its end portion from the adjoining opposite quarter portions 2b and 2. Said midportion may be secured to the cylinder by means of the usual pivoted tension clamps 4, 5 which lie between trunnion blocks 6, 7 8 respectively. Said clamps fill the spaces between their respective opposite blocks so they have no movement transverse the cylinder.

Plate portions 2b and 2c are also secured by similar clamps 9, 10 which are I pivotally mounted on short shafts 11, 12 in trunnion blocks 13, 6 and 8, 14 respectively. Said shafts are prevented endwise movement by pins, as pin l5 fastening .shaft 11 in block 6. Also clamps 9, 10 are provided with means, as set screw 16 to clamp 9 for securing said clamps against endwise movement on their respective shafts, after said clamps have been adjusted to desired positions. To facilitate the movement of clamps 9, 10 measured distances for adjustment, stop screws 17, 18 are provided.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: The midportion of the sheet to re ceive its second or later printing isbrought into transverse registerwith the midportion 2u of plate 2 by known means. Then, if the paper is found to have stretched transversely since the previous impression, set screw 17 is backed off a distance equal to the desired correction for plate portion 2b and clamp 9 is moved to the left, F ig. 2, by hand or by some convenient means such as a pinch bar, until it contacts with the point of stop screw 17, when clamp screw 16 is setagainst shaft 11 thereby securing clamp 9 and the end of plate portion 2b in its grasp, in their new positions in which plate portion 2'b registers with the paper from which it is to be printed. The other edge portion 2C of the plate may ,be similarly adjusted to the right. If necesone end of the plate to the bed, a plurality of clamps mounted and adapted for engaging and stretching the other end of the plate on said bed, one of said clamps being constrained against transverse movement, another of said clamps being mounted for transverse movement and a slit in said plate extending inwardly of said plate away from its transverse edge, said slit being located between said clamps, whereby, by moving the transversely movable clamp away from the iirst mentioned clamp, those portions or' said plate on either side of said slit are separated.

2. That improvements in plate registering means `including in combination, a bed, a printing plate thereon, means for securing one one of the plate to the bed, a plurality of clamps mounted and adapted for engaging and stretching theother end of the plate on said bed, one of said clamps being constrained against transverse movement, another of said clamps being mounted for transverse movement, a slit in said plate extending inwardly of said plate away from its transverse edge, said slit being located between said claim s, whereby, by moving the transversely movable clamp away from the iirst mentioned clamp, those portions of said plate on either side ot said slit are separated and means for securing said transversely movable clamp in its adj usted position.

3. at improvement in plate registering means including in combination, a bed, a

printing plate thereon, means for securing one y fone end of the plate to the bed, a plurality end of the plate to the bed, a plurality of vclampsmounted and adapted for engaging and stretching the other end of the plate on said bed, one of said clamps being constrained against transverse movement, another ot said clamps being mounted for transverse movement, a slit in said plate extending inwardly of said plate away from its transverse edge, said slit being located between said clamps, whereby, by moving the transversely movable clamp away from the first mentioned clamp, those portions of said plate on either side ot said slit are separated, means for securing said transversely movable clamp in its adjusti ed position and a stop screw adapted to be engaged by said transversely movable clamp q for adjustably limiting its transverse moven 4. That improvement in plate registering `means, including in combination, a bed," a

" end of the plate to the bed, a plurality ot clampslmounted and adapted for engaging and stretching the other end ofV the plate on said bed, one of said clamps being constrained against transverse movement, a clamp on either side of said transversely fixed clamp,`

said clamps on either side being mounted for transverse movement and two slits in said plate extending `inwardly of said plate away' from its transverse edge, said slits being located between said transversely fixed clamp and each of said transversely movable clamps, whereby, by moving the transversely movable clamps away from the first mentioned clamp, those portions of said plate engaged by said transversely movable clamps are moved from the midportion of the plate engaged by said irst mentioned clamp.

5. That improvement in plate registering means including in combination, a bed, a printing plate thereon, means for securing one end of the plate to the bed, a plurality of clamps mounted and adapted for engaging and stretching the other end of the plate on said bed, one of said clamps being constrained against transverse movement, a clamp on either side of said transversely fixed clamp, said clamps on either side being mounted for transverse movement, two slits in said plate extending inwardly o said plate away from its transverse edge, said slits being located between said transversely fixed clamp and each of said transversely movable clamps, whereby by moving the transversely movable clamps away from the first mentioned clamp, those portions of said plate engaged by said transversely movableclamps are moved from the iiiidportion of the plate engaged by said lirst mentioned clamp, and means for securing said transversely movable clamps in their adjusted positions.

G. That improvement in plate registering means including in combination, a bed, a printing plate thereon, means for securing said clamp on either side being mounted toi.'

transverse movement, two slits insaid plate extending inwardly of said plate away from its transverse ed ge, said slits being located between said transverscly fixed clamp and each of saidtransversely movable clamps, whereby by moving the transversely movable `clampsaway from the first mentioned clamp,

those portions of said plate engaged by said transversely movable clamps are moved from the midjortion of the plate engaged by said first mentioned clamp` means for securing' said transversely movable clamps in their adjusted positions, and adjustable means for limiting the movement of the transversely movable clamps. i

In witness wliei'eoi` I hereby affix my si gnature this 28th day oi' January, 1929.

` WILLIAM H. BANZETT. 

